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De Kooning's Breakthrough Years Revisited at Princeton Exhibit

3/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Willem de Kooning's 1948 solo exhibition at Charles Egan Gallery established him as a leading figure in the New York school.
The Princeton University Art Museum's exhibit, Willem de Kooning: The Breakthrough Years, revisits the 1945–50 period and shows 18 works.
De Kooning's evolution included a rivalry with Jackson Pollock and a shift back to figuration in the later "woman paintings," which drew mixed reactions.

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Story summary

Willem de Kooning's 1948 solo exhibition at Charles Egan Gallery established him as a leading figure in the New York school.
The Princeton University Art Museum's exhibit, Willem de Kooning: The Breakthrough Years, revisits the 1945–50 period and shows 18 works.
De Kooning's evolution included a rivalry with Jackson Pollock and a shift back to figuration in the later "woman paintings," which drew mixed reactions.